Schedule W comprises of drugs that are considered to be the most serious. They are also considered by the government to be the most dangerous and the most addictive. They also have little to no medicinal purposes.

Examples of these types of drugs include, but are not limited to, cocaine and heroin.

Drugs in Schedule X are also considered to be addictive, but they are less addictive and less dangerous than the drugs in Schedule W. They might also have more of a medicinal use than the drugs in Schedule W.

Most of them are typically hallucinogens and include things like peyote, ketamine, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, among others.

Schedule Y is the category where most prescription drugs get placed. These drugs have a high potential for medicinal use, but they are still very addictive. Thus, they need a doctor’s prescription to be able to use legally.

Examples of these types of drugs include valium and codeine.

Schedule Z is the last category of drugs. This category is basically a catch-all for all the remaining drugs that don’t fall into any of the other categories.

The most common drug in this least serious category is marijuana. In Maine, it is legal to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes. Yet, it is still illegal to smoke or possess it for recreational purposes.

If you are found to be in possession of over a certain amount of it, you can still get charged with a crime.

Understanding Different Classes of Drug Arrests

The next step to understanding your case is knowing what class of drug crime you are being charged with.

There are five different levels or classes, of drug crimes.

Possession of drugs that fall into either Schedule W or Schedule X is considered to be Class D crimes, which makes them misdemeanors. They could each earn you up to 364 days or less than one year in jail, and/or up to $2000 in fines.

Possession of Schedule Y or Z drugs is considered to be a Class E misdemeanor and could earn you up to 6 months of jail time and/or up to a $1000 fine.

A Class C crime is a felony that could earn you up to 5 years in prison or a $5000 fine.

If you are in possession of over a certain amount of a schedule W drug, if you get caught cultivating over a certain amount of marijuana, or if you get caught importing any drugs that are schedule X, Y, or Z, you could get charged with a Class C felony.

A Class B crime is a felony that has the potential to earn you 10 years in prison or a $20,000 fine.

If a drug arrest has been made for possession of over 20 pounds of marijuana, for the cultivation of 500 marijuana plants or more, or for the importing of any drugs that fall into Schedule W, this can be charged as a Class B felony.

A Class A crime is a felony that could earn you up to 30 years in prison or a $50,000 fine.

If you have a prior drug importation conviction and you get caught importing a drug that falls into the Schedule W category, you can be charged with a Class A felony.

You can also get a Class A felony charge if you have no prior drug arrests, but you are in possession of a firearm while importing Schedule W drugs, soliciting Schedule W drugs to a minor, or if a person dies as a result of using Schedule W drugs.

Get the Help You Need For Your Drug Arrest

Just because a drug arrest has been made, all hope is not lost.

The first thing that you need to figure out is what you are being charged with. A person in the state of Maine can get drug arrests for possession, manufacturing, or sale of anything that is considered to be a controlled substance.

Once you have a charge to a drug-related crime, you should hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer so that you will be able to take your case to court. A good lawyer will make sure that you get a fair shot at a life clear from the ways in which a drug conviction could affect you.

Convictions on your record can have the potential to affect your life in many ways. This includes what jobs you can get in the future and the relationships that you have in your life.

So who do you choose?

A state defense attorney is being paid by the state and is often overloaded with too many cases for them to really focus or invest in your best interests. Don’t trust your case to a state defense attorney.